The land of the long white cloud...the land for a happy little geographer! Arriving at the other side of the world, how somewhere can show you so much and has allowed for the experiences gained to fulfil endless dreams. Arriving in january leaving in april, just over 3 months in that time days of the most unforgettable memories made. Month by month day by day i have explored a vast array of landscapes from one extreme to the other, bare rock to dense rainforest, from thick ice to steaming craters, from farmland to coastlines, from sunsets at the sea to sunrise in the mountains, flying high in the sky to falling through clouds....the outcome an endless natural smile and another country that has stolen a travellers heart!

The question what has fulfilled those dreams, the dreams of finally being able to see those topics studied in the class room not only to sea them but to get a feel for them to walk through large glaciated valleys in fox and franz joseph on the west coast, to walk on terminal moraine the deposits of these incredible glaciers that have riped apart the mountains and carried it and deposited it into its formed valleys, to walk high above steep v shaped valleys that rivers have made there mark on at Arthers pass, to walk up what was originally a lava flow up an active volcano on the tongariro crossing in the north island, to walk passed steaming and bubbling sulphur pools in rotorua, watching a sunset at what was a giant creator now lake taupo. Visiting the most incredible sedimentary feature the moeraki boulders, coastal arches and stacks at cathedral cove, walking upstream through a cave system at arthers pass, the natural playground at castle rock where i saw endless kaarst scenery, the pancake rocks at punakaki on the west coast the eroded limestone and the blow hole crated by the waves, along with endless walks through native new zealand bush, not forgetting the incredible fiord land of milford and doubtful sound. A small portion of what has kept me busy in new zealand.

Beginning the trip in the south island,a week at the buskers festival, antarctic centre, and museum in christchurch, making my way south, down the east coast fitting in jet boating, a trip to omarama snow caped mountains and driving past the most turquoise lakes i've ever seen continuing south where moraki boulders caught my eye and the east coast on the drive to dunedin, the areas around dunedin the beautiful hilly scenery at outrum, the large rivers and where i had a few days of work with some of new zealand's iconic sheep. Packing in jet ski-ing, chocolate factory tour, walking, the work on the farms before heading further south visiting bluff almost the very south of the south island, spending 6 days at another farm working with traction engines and thousands of sheep to keep the work flowing.

From the sheep to the famous fiord land on the south west coast where doubtful sound provided endless smiles, the 3 hour boat trips on the sound, seeing waterfalls, seals,dolphins, penguins and the incredible scale of doubtful sound, spending the 3 days there where rain brightened the be vegetation where i saw my first incredible glow worms on the side of the rock one evening, walking along the gravel road and the looking up to my right thousands of these incredible glowing worms! From one incredible place to another the famous milford sound, the most beautiful drive towards milford where valleys stood out like know other, continual rain for 3 days, but the most amazing waterfalls i've ever seen, the sheer rock face on the sound with water plummeting down the rock face, the boat trip proving to be just as inspiring as doubtful, going out to the tasman sea, standing under a water fall and testing the gore tex on my jacket, ending the trip with the weather clearing and the incredible rainbow through the waterfall. The walk to lake marion through the dense rain forest to the lake where the clouds cleared for a few minutes to show how beautiful it was before closing back in on us.

Milford to glow worms in a cave at te-anua, silenced by these inspiring lights from the cave ceiling, the beautiful lake te-anau and from one lake to the next queenstown the energy of the city combined with the lake itself and the trees that line the lake and the mountains that fill your eyes in the distance, walking up ben lomond a 360view of the whole area on another blue sky'd day. One walk to the next the keplar track, the most incredible 4 days in new zealand, where i walked through dense bush, walked parallel to a mirrored lake, climbed up through the bush and alpine vegetation on an early morning to have the such a view as the sun rose high in the sky! Being on a ridge line high in the sky views of the lake te-anau and smiling faces. On a 4 day trip where i confirmed my continual love for the outdoor's once again and where the spark of what i am now going to study in september has arisen from. Our final day waking up to a sunrise like no other, how a blanket of cloud lies under your view and the mountains are met with this blanket as the sun shines its golden colour onto the cloud, a morning like no other to complete an all inspiring 4days.

From a 60km walk to queenstown for one last famous furg burger and sunset by the lake, wanaka the next destination the quiet town where i found my perfect tree whilst walking along the lake. Lake after lake but each capturing something different each with its own special memory, the last lake for a few weeks as that took me to the west coast the most windiest roads i've ever driven on, where i walked along glaciated valleys towards the snout of the fox glacier and franz joseph glacier. My first ever view from close up of what we studied in the class room, and then its was another breathless moment as a another memory was created to be in a helicopter and fly above those glaciers to be up close to the famous mount cook, landing on an ice field and creating another geographers dream. The scenery further north up next the beaches at punakaki and the pancake rocks', the caverns i explored and to arthers pass more walking this time above large river valleys before exploring the wonders of caves, waist deep in an iced cold river walking upstream through the cave another experience gained. The areas at castle rock i previously described the limestone eroded to create the most unimaginable shapes.

Where next; hamner springs,relaxing in hot pools before exploring the kikora peninsula and wave cut platforms combined with close encounters' with seals. Onto one last week, exploring lake tekapo that turquoise lake, with the church of the good shepared on the edge of the lake, an evening of star gazing at the mount john observatory, then days at mount cook witch was continually under cloud but the valleys that surrounded it including the hooker valley and its glacier that we walked to, and the tasman glacier. If i could of sat somewhere all day it was there along with everywhere else that i am righting about. One last visit to the moraki boulders followed before i took the ferry to the north island.

Museums and walks in wellington, visiting a dairy farm in new plymouth and seeing the egmont national park, visiting lake turangi,taupo and rotorua, the huka falls, honey tasting at the bee hive, climbing mount monganue near turanga at the bay of plenty before spending a week in the tent at lake taupo, a 24 km walk to the huka falls and araita dam, and then walking through a volcanic wonderland, the tongariro crossing, the strong smells of sulphur, the sights of steam coming out of the heated rocks, the giant emerald lakes, craters and the views from walking up mount naugahoe, the long tiring walk worth every step to see these views and to walk through volcanic landscaped like no other. 19km of walking and an added 2/12 hours up mount naugahoe but 19km that gave my eyes the most incredible scenery, and lucky again to have incredible weather. From the tongariro crossing a couple of days to sit and watch sunsets by the lake beside trees with there autumn leaves. One last adventure in taupo to fall through a cloud at 200m/s, the ski dive, another unforgettable experience that will stay with me forever.

Onto geothermal activity at rotorua the wia-o-tapu thermal wonderland and array of mud pools, geysers, sulphur pools, craters and so much more, the colours and smells all add to the experience. Rotorua also provided an evening of traditional mauri concerts and traditional meal the "hangi" an extremely interesting experience. The final leg of the adventure, the trip to the far north the bay of islands in pihia, the coastal walks, swimming to one of the islands and the day trip to cape reinga the very north of new zealand where we sand boarded down incredible dunes, were on a bus driving down 90 mile beach and where i hugged a giant kauri tree, walked inside a tree that had been carved out. Walking up every morning in pihia to watch the sunrise, before arriving back in auckland seeing the sights one tree hill, mount eden mission bay before the last adventure, to the cormandel peninsula, exploring cathedral cove the soft white sands and blue sea with the famous arch to your left, exploring a beach like no other witch produces hot water, exploring at 9pm anotherexperience. The last adventure the bays on the peninsula providing another taste of paradise along the way.

3 1/2 months of adventure, but a life time of friends, memories and another country that has stolen me once again. New zealand truly is the land for a geographer. I may be leaving the land of the long white cloud this afternoon and the adventure may be over... BUT now the exciting part begins, this has inspired the study of environmental science with outdoor education which i begin in september...but first a little trip to dubai and a summer of adventures in scotland... really no adventure is ever over...they merely inspire the next ones!